› added 4 years ago

96

TIL: An FBI file says (pg.34) a "clairvoyant" (name redacted) claimed the space shuttle Challenger explosion was the work of NASA-employed "local conspirators" in security whose addresses she gave. Checks found "none of the current security employees, or recent dismissals" lived in the general area.

Read more vault.fbi.gov

via reddit.com

J1pG8 TIL an entomologist in Colorado wrote a love song about the Cicada mating season to help people understand why they’re so loud.
ANw1d TIL that in 1563, Johann Weyer argued against Witch hunts and instead that the accused should be treated as having a mental illness.
XDWR TIL The 3.6m year old Laetoli footprints, one of the most important finds concerning Human evolution and evidence of upright bipedal walking, was discovered by Paleoanthropologist Andrew Hill when he dove into the ground during the middle of an elephant dung fight with a colleague.
jvmE TIL Sesame Street creators ignored the advice of child psychologists who were concerned that children would be confused if human actors and Muppets were shown together. Ignoring this advice was seen as a “turning point” in the show’s success.
aEn0 TIL Adolph Malan, a South African flying ace, led the No. 74 Squadron RAF during the battle of Briton, known for sending bomber pilots home with dead crews as a warning to other German crews. When he returned home, he considered apartheid a Nazi ideal, and got involved in anti-apartheid movements.